'Arry plans long stay/Adams says we need 3 more

Harry Redknapp has quite often recently said that he has no plans to go anywhere for a while and would not leave Pompey for another job.

He has gone one step further now by insisting that even when his contract ends in 2011, with him then going to be pushing on for his mid 60s, at this moment in time he has no plans to call it a day and wants to carry on beyond that date, particularly as he wants to lead us at our new home - hopefully.

He was speaking to The News when he said: 'I'm not going anywhere, and I can't see me going anywhere for a long time.

'Hopefully, I will be here still when the new stadium is built.

'The only way I won't be is if I'm not alive in 2011!

'I'm still enjoying football as much as I've ever done and can't see me going anywhere, to be honest.

'If I wasn't involved in football, I'd just be sitting around at home getting under my wife's feet.

'You never know what can happen in this game, but I'm happy here.

'I would love to be there when we play our first game at the new ground.'

He is very impressed with the stadium designs for the proposed Horsea Island move, but knows the importance of this happening - along with the training ground - and hopes we get the support to do both: 'the stadium looks impressive.

'We need it to happen and hopefully we will see it happen this time.

'We need to move to a stadium that is fit for Premier League football. We have to move with the times.

'There are the plans for the new training ground which we have to have, and now there is the stadium.

'There has to be the support so it happens.'

As the saying goes if it aint broke don't fix it, so if things are still progressing then as they are now, which I hope and believe they will, why should there be the need for any change...

==========

Whilst finishing on the topic of 'moving forward' and the importance of this above it seems appropriate to talks about what Tony Adams also told The News about what he feels we need to carry on our progression this season.

He believes that 3 new players will be needed to continue the development here and build yet further on last seasons achievements: 'Harry likes to turn his squad over and the average turnaround of a squad is six years.

'It is important to keep ticking it over so that can be achieved and I know he will be strengthening the team this summer.

'Obviously a lot of it depends how many players you lose. There will always be some looking to get football elsewhere for whatever reasons. You can't help that.

'But another two or three from now would be lovely, top quality, and I think that is enough.

'I think you need to turn it around, freshen it up, keep improving every year.

'With that in mind, Sylvain Distin has come in during the last year, Lassana Diarra arrived in January, players who are better than what we've got.

'You have to improve where you can.'

All summer long we have been in agreement that 3 quality arrivals are what we need, and we have been promised these. So far the likes of Peter Crouch, Richard Dunne, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Nicky Shorey have been linked, but to date none have arrived, but I am certain that movement will happen shortly, and we will get the 'big 3' that we are after.

Adams also had praise for Paul Hart, who continues to assemble a top quality academy side which should hopefully yield some products in the coming years - something Adams believes it will, as things are progressing well: 'Paul Hart is trying to do the business for us at youth-team level and brought a lad in from West Brom and some French lads.

'He is trying hard for the future as well - a one for now, one for later type of thing. Everything is coming along nicely.'

The future is looking bright for Pompey, long may this continue!

PLAY UP POMPEY!

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Your Comments (oldest first)

Three years is a long time in Football, so cautious Harry a lot can happen (good or bad)..but whatever we need to plan his successor now ! . 3 top quality players will move us forward... come on Tone let's hear something original we heard that from HArry in May... Paul Hart... doing a great job

Well its all positive speaking from Harry and Tone which is great. I agree Chix that 3 years is a long long time in football, and thats a long wait for a new stadium. Lets hope we can get 1 of the BIG signings done quickly, before we all fall asleep!

We need Harry more than anything. the longer he is here the better. Tony maybe a good coach that may not make him a good manager. The top players we have are here because of Harry. As long as we don't get carried away with the recent glory & start giving HR & the boys grief just because we lose a few, we'll be fine. Keep topping up the quality, be it 3, 4 or 5.

Harry said he wants 4 players for next season, those including a centre-half (acting cover for the aging Sol and Distin), centre park player (to keep Diarra and Muntari performing and hopefully Diop well away from the line up), winger (to replace Utaka fingers crossed, and also to make sure Diop won't have to fill in there) and obviously someone to partner JD up top (as Kanu can only last 20 minutes on a good day).
I would have Richard Dunne or Chimbonda to be the defender, edging towards Pascal Chimbonda though as he could create cover at LB. Personally I don't think Shorey as all he's hyped up to be.
Centre mid I don't think really is a problem as I rate Sean Davis quite highly and Mendes acts as adequate cover, but if I was forced would probably go for someone like Sidwell to give us a slightly more attacking edge from midfield.
As far as a winger is concerned I don't think 'arry can really say the 32 year old Glen Little is a long term replacement in the right wing slot. After wasting 7 million on Utaka, I would have to say if we payed something around the region of 10-12 mil on SWP we would have had a bargain, youthful, exciting, ENGLISH he's got good characteristics he just wants to be playing. Best football of his carerer was played at City. Slightly more realistically though I think Sebastien Larsson would be a handy player to fit in on the right flank good whip, good free kick taker shifty little number 7.
As far as an attacker goes, Defoe will want a big 'target man' sort of player to partner him I would imagine. Crouch is the obvious target but stingey Rafa is taking nothing less that 10 mil it seems. I would say Pavlyuchenko would be worth a crack, the Euro hype will raise his price tag but after all whats the harm in trying aye! Other possibilites include Eidur iceman Gudjohson (although that looks like its flown out the window with his ridiculous wage demands) or possibly someone like Santa Cruz but that doesnt look likely with Arsenal and United in the mix fror him. But its that, or take back Baros - which I am not up for!!!

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